Last Saturday’s Guardian leader column stated that, according to its own research, about 10 newsagents go out of business every week.
The newsagent is a high street institution and shops closing leave their communities poorer, it says. Desperate action is needed to arrest the decline, be it lower rates for community enterprises or something more serious. Newsagents are valuable, and it’s time we started treating them as such, it concludes.
I don’t believe 10 newsagents are going out of business every week, but there is no doubt that retailers are being squeezed from all sides and increasingly forced to rethink their offer.
Look at former NFRN national president Mahendra Jadeja, who this week converted his north London newsagent shop into a modern convenience store offering chilled food and wine.
And one of the sides doing the squeezing is the Guardian itself. Last year the title announced a reduction in weekday retail percentage margins at the same time as a drive to recruit direct to consumer delivery customers. It has since worked with the NFRN on a promotion to grow HND subscription sales with 700 members, as well as putting a stop to its direct to consumer canvassing.
Perhaps now is the time for the title famed for its fairness and social conscience to run a sustained campaign for the long-term future security of local shops.
A good starting point, and the ‘radical’ action it says is required, would be backing retailers’ calls for a full market investigation of the newstrade by the Competition Commission.
For more information read this weeks Retail Newsagent
——————————————————————————————
Retail Newsagent is a weekly business magazine for the best of the independent channel, providing retailers with coverage of news and convenience retailing that will help them turn a profit. RN contains great business content and is the only independent-focused trade press title, allowing RN to deliver an audience of engaged, business-savvy retailers for our customers. As the only trade press title which goes out weekly, RN gives suppliers a unique opportunity to advertise promotions with time-specific deadlines. Click here to subscribe to RN
Steven Denham
14/08/2012
Glengormley newsagent, Diane Mullen is organising a sponsored walk to raise much-needed funds that will help provide life-saving treatment for a local toddler who is battling cancer. Read the full story here: http://www.newtownabbeytoday.co.uk/news/local/newsagent-backs-little-oscar-s-brave-fight-1-4140270
Graham Hales
18/08/2012
I just had a customer say to me ‘I love a newsagent because the prices are right for me and there easy to use too!’
That customer clearly knows our value.
betterRetailing Team
30/08/2012
Very well worded letter from Chris featuring in today’s Times
http://t.co/ojtzF9v7